Town hall meeting set on sales tax referendum

The City of Fayetteville will hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the municipal building.

The focus of the meeting will be the proposed increase in the local option sales tax from 2.5% to 2.75%. The proposal is the subject of the referendum which is on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Fayetteville Mayor John Ed Underwood is expected to conduct the meeting, which will include a question and answer session. Other officials, such as City Administrator Jim Lee and City Finance Director Tonya Steelman, will also be on hand for the meeting. A slide show is also planned.

Officials have said the increase in the local option sales tax is the only way to avoid a significant increase in the city’s property tax rate next year. During work sessions, officials have talked about the need for a 42-cent increase in the property tax rate.